becoming a foster parent

The SMAS is an open admissions shelter. This means we take in every stray animal from Mahaska County that walks through our doors regardless of their health or temperament. Some of these animals may not be ready for adoption yet because of their age, health, or behavior and we rely greatly on volunteer foster homes to help us give these special animals the time and extra care required to get them ready for adoption. ​

At any given time, we may have several animals in need of a foster home, examples of animals who are candidates for foster homes are:

Mother cats/dogs with litters

Orphaned puppies or kittens requiring bottle feeding

Puppies or kittens that are too young for adoption (under 8 weeks old)

Dogs or Cats with health conditions requiring special care

Dogs or Cats that are not adjusting to a shelter environment

We do not typically send healthy, adoptable animals to foster homes, unless circumstances require us to do so.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, we encourage you to fill out a foster application. Once approved, we will keep your information on file and contact you when a foster opportunity is available. We also post foster opportunities on our Facebook page so keep on the look out!

Because each foster animal has different needs, foster homes are never obligated to foster an animal for any reason. We want the foster experience to be a good one so our foster families keep coming back to help! We will work with you to make sure we are contacting you with foster opportunities that will be suitable to your living situation and level of experience.